The campground at Keuka Lake State Park (nysparks.com) has campsites for tents, trailers and RVs up to 40 feet in length. The sites are divided into three loops – Deer Run, Twin Fawns and Esperanza View -- with 50 campsites each. Each loop has a playground and restroom facility with hot showers; all three loops share one RV dump station. The campsites are level and mostly grassy; some have shade and others, full sun. Each site includes a fire ring and a picnic table. Every four campsites share one water supply. About 50 combined sites in the Twin Fawns and Esperanza loops provide 30-amp electric hookups; the Deer Run loop has none.
Keuka Lake State Park is open year-round, but camping is typically available only from early May to mid-October. Camping reservations at Keuka Lake can be made online through Reserve America (reserveamerica.com) up to nine months in advance, but at least one day prior to arrival. Discounts of 15 to 20 percent are given for Sunday to Thursday stays. Household pets are allowed in the campground with a two-pet minimum, and animals must be caged or kept on a leash of 6 feet or less at all times.
Keuka Lake State Park has a number of recreational amenities for visitors to enjoy while camping there. The park has a seasonal swimming beach on the lake that is typically open from mid-June to early September, with a trail that leads directly from the campground to the swimming area. Fish on Keuka Lake from the dock or launch your boat. The park has picnic areas and several hiking trails, some of which are open to cross-country skiing during the winter.
Several attractions are within a short drive of Keuka Lake State Park. Relax with a ride aboard the Esperanza Rose, a 65-foot wooden vessel that provides sightseeing, lunch and dinner cruises on Keuka Lake. The Rose is docked in Branchport, only 2 miles west of the state park. Or hike or bike the 7-mile Keuka Outlet Trail, which has three access points in the village of Penn Yan, less than 8 miles northeast of the park. The trail follows an old railway and canal bed along Keuka Outlet Creek, which connects Keuka and Seneca lakes and provides scenic views of Seneca Mills Falls. Wine buffs will enjoy the Keuka Lake Wine Trail (keukawinetrail.com), a group of seven nearby wineries that provide tours and frequent weekend events.
